Carrier or stretcher



E. KING.

CARRIER 0R STRETCHER. APPLICATION man OCT- 25. I921.

Pate nted Dec.12,1922.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

have

ELMER KING, of Ann ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

Application filed October 25, 1921. Serial No, 510,309;

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LELMER Kine, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Ann Arbor, in the county of Washtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Carriers or Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a stretcher or sling for moving helpless or other persons.

The object of the invention is to provide a carrier so constructed that one cancarry with ease a person of thefheavy'weight without any strain upon the person carried.

Another ob ect 1s to provide a dev ceof this character which shall be adjustable and distribute the weight of the person carried so as to equalize the strain on the person from whom the device is supported.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a front elevation showing this improved stretcher in use.

Fig. Q'is a perspective view showing the device in the act of being applied.

3 is a plan view of the stretcher in open position.

Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section taken on the line 1-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a similar View taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

I in the embodiment illustrated the stretcher or carrier including a body portion 1, formed from a length of heavy duck or canvas with the opposed ends thereof reinportion 1.

forced by the folding and hemming down thereof as shown at 2, and to which are secured the fastening devices as will now be described.

A strong leather suspension strap 3, is secured at one end to one end of the body portion 1, adjacent one side edge thereof preferably by riveting. and is detachably se cured at its other end to the opposed side edge of the body portion by a buckle 1. Two rings 5 and 6 are loosely connected with that end of the body portion 1, which carries the strap 3, being preferably secured by keepers 7, which are riveted to the body portion as is shown clearly in Fig. 4.

The strap 3 and buckle 4 are connected with the body portion 1, by a U-shaped clip 8, riveted. or otherwise secured to the body One of the clips 8 extends through the buckle a, for connecting it to the body portion, but the other clip 8 is provided with a metal loop 9, to which the strap 3 is secured.

Securedto the other end of the body portion lsadjacent the opposed side edges thereof, are two snap hooks 10 and 11, said hooks being shown secured by ti-shaped clips 12, similar to those employed in connecting the strap carrying buckle.

The canvas body from which the stretcher or carrieris constructed, is of a width sufficient to extend far enough down on the lower extremities to hold them up and far enough upon the. shoulders so that the head will rest comfortably without strain on the patient. This body portion 1 is of alength sufficient to encompass the body of the person to be carried forming a swinglike contrivance when in use as is shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the use of this device the strap 3,

first connected with the buckle 1 and then the body portion 1, is passed transversely under the body of the person to be lifted, and the snap hooks 10 and'll, engaged with the rings 5 and 6, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The strap 3, is then passed over the head of theone who is to lift the person in the stretcher and such strap passed over one shoulder and under the other arm, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. '1. This arrange ment of the strap distributes the weight of the person in the stretcher so that a very heavy weight may be carried by one who is comparatively light. This stretcher is especially useful for firemen in carrying out people who have been overcome with smoke, etc.,or any other person in a helpless condition.

As shown clearly in Fig. 1 when the body portion 1 isplaced around the person to be lifted and the strap engaged over the shoulders of the lifting person, the hands of the latter will be free so that he may put one under the head of he person lifted and the other under the knees as shown and thereby prevent the head of an unconscious person dropping downer any strain being exerted thereon.

From the above description it will be ob vious that this device is simple. inexpensive and exceedingly convenient for carrying helpless persons without fatigue and at the same time leave the hands free to attend. to other duties. This device has the further advantage that it may be folded; up into small compass to be stored in small space when-not required for use.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawings and set forth inthe specification, but, it Will be understood that any modifications Within the scope vof the claimed invention may be made in the construction Without departing from tion and connecting said strap thereto, a

buckle adapted to have said'strap connect I f ed thereto, a yoke-shaped member projecting, from the said end-o1 the body portion and connecting said :buc'lrle thereto, a ring connected to each of saidmenibers intermediate the ends thereof, apairof yokeshapedelements connected to the otherend of the body'portion and, projecting therefrom, and hook elements carried by said yoke-shaped elements and adapted to def tachably engage said rings whereby the ends of the body portion are connected together. 2A carrier for the purpose set forth comprising a rectangular flexible body portion,

a suspension strap, a yoke-shaped member secured to and progectlng from one. end of the body port on and connecting said strap therewith, a buckle adapted to have said strap connected thereto, a yoke-shaped member secured to thesaid end of thebody portion and connecting said buckle therewith, a ring positioned on each of said members' intermediate the ends thereof, means iorloose'ly*connecting said rings to said members, a pair of yoke-shaped elements secured to and pr'ojecting from the other end of the body portion, and hook elements carried by said yoke-shaped-elements and adapted to'befdetachably connected to said rings Wherebyth'e ends of the body portion" are connected together.

In testimony whereof, I afiiX mysignatur'e r hereto.

' ELMER KING. 

